Citizen and administrator perspectives of equity in the delivery of park services

This paper addresses the issue of what constitutes fairness and equity in the allocation of park resources. Four alternative equity models are presented. A general population sample and a sample of park and recreation directors were surveyed to gain empirical insights into which of these models the two groups perceived to be most appropriate for governing the allocation of park resources. Both samples overwhelmingly supported the view that parks should be allocated to all areas equally, rather than on the basis of need, demand, or amount of taxes paid. There was a lack of consensus on whether entrance fees should be set at a level that recovers operating costs. Implications of the findings are discussed.